Governor shuts schools and shopping centers in Belgorod for safety reasons

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, declared the closure of schools and shopping centers on Saturday (March 16) due to safety concerns.

According to a video posted on the governor’s Telegram channel, shopping centers will remain closed on Sunday and Monday, while classes will be suspended on Monday and Tuesday. These closures will impact educational institutions in Belgorod city, its environs, and border areas with Ukraine.

14 killed in Russian missile strike on Odesha, 1 dead in Ukraine shelling in Belgorod as Russian polls start

Earlier on Saturday, Governor Gladkov reported two fatalities and three injuries resulting from a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod. This occurred while Russian citizens are participating in a three-day presidential election, ongoing until Sunday (March 17).

In a Telegram statement, Governor Gladkov specified that the city was targeted by missiles launched from a Vampire rocket launcher system. He noted damage to vehicles and buildings both within Belgorod city and in neighboring villages.

Earlier on Thursday (March 14) a man lost his life when the car he was driving was directly hit by shelling. Four others sustained injuries. Belgorod’s city Mayor Valentin Demidov attributed the shelling to Ukrainian forces. The attack also resulted in damage to five houses and 25 vehicles.

Another shelling incident on the same day claimed the life of a woman who was driving her car, injuring three others, according to Demidov. He personally visited the attack sites to assess the damage and engage with residents.

Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to sabotage Russia’s presidential election by shelling Russian territory and deploying 2,500 armed soldiers to breach its borders.

: Putin’s Russia enters election mode with ‘new’ territories from Ukraine

He vowed to retaliate against Kyiv for these actions, stating, “These hostile actions will not go unanswered.”
Putin made these remarks during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, which comprises of military and intelligence leaders, along with influential civilian officials.

Putin said there had been four attacks on the Belgorod region and one on the Kursk region by armed Ukrainian proxies numbering about 2,500. He said they had 35 tanks and 40 armoured vehicles and that 60 per cent of the soldiers were killed.